Happy Endings
by Sakura's Unicorn
Summary: An anthology of SasuSaku stories, all wrapped up with happily ever afters. Written for Cotton Candy Bingo on Dreamwidth.
1. Magic

"_That's_ where you were hiding the coin!" Mahou the Magnificent shouted as he plucked the shiny disk from behind Sakura's ear. She gasped in astonishment and Sasuke harrumphed. He didn't need his Sharingan to see how the petty magician palmed the coin and then produced it again.

"Stupid tricks."

Sasuke didn't have the heart to chide Sakura, though. She'd clapped her hands and jumped up and down like a child when she was selected to come on stage. He sighed, thinking they had to wait for Naruto to get back from his hundredth food expedition anyway. Leaning against the side of the stage, he folded his arms and waited for Sakura's little adventure to be over.

"Now, Sakura-chan," Mahou said more to the audience than to her, his voice taking on a breathy, mystical quality. "Have you ever dreamed of going to a magical place? A place where your most secret wishes come true?"

A wistful look came over her and she nodded.

"Then you're in luck because I can make that happen with my _Wandering Cabinet_." The crowd _ooh'd_ when he dramatically yanked off a silky drape, revealing a narrow, wooden box. "Wanna try, Sakura-chan?"

Biting her lip, she looked from the magician to the box and back again. The audience, sensing her hesitance, took up the chant of "_Try it! Try it! Try it!_" Pushed by the crowd's urging, Sakura agreed with a vigorous nod and the audience roared.

"But…" The magician held up a finger, silencing the crowd immediately. "We can't have you traveling alone. Where's the fun in that?" he asked the masses with a shrug. "Howzabout we find a handsome man to go with you, Sakura-chan?"

Sasuke didn't wait to see how this was going to turn out. He bulled his way through the crowd, stalked onto the stage, and grabbed Sakura's wrist.

"We have a volunteer!"

Sasuke froze when the crowd thundered and hooted with approval. He had no intention of getting involved in this charade. But when he turned to Sakura and saw her blush, his heart thumped loudly.

"What's your name, sir?"

The whoosh of blood in his ears was all he heard. All of his limbs were locked, paralyzed.

"His name is Bastard."

On the edge of the crowd, Sasuke saw Naruto munching on three sticks of yakitori, grinning like an idiot.

"His name is Sasuke-kun," Sakura piped up, slipping her hand into his. His eyes glued themselves to their twined fingers.

"Well, _Sasuke-kun_, you can't take your girl out without a gift, can you?" With that, Mahou pulled a vividly colored bouquet of silk flowers from the waistband of Sasuke's pants. A huge burst of confetti spewed from his pants right behind the flowers. "Little excited, Sasuke-kun?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows. The crowd guffawed at the lecherous innuendo. "Can't say as I blame you with a girlfriend as pretty as Sakura-chan."

A curse was on Sasuke's tongue when, with a flourish, the magician turned to the audience. "Now…TO ADVENTURE!" He pointed off into the distance until the crowd was done applauding.

Opening the Wandering Cabinet, Mahou pushed Sasuke inside. Caught off-guard by the magician's speed and strength, Sasuke's back thumped against the rear of the cabinet with an _oof_. Before he could move, Sakura was pushed on top of him. The cabinet was narrow and, once closed, movement was impossible. Sasuke could hear the muffled voice of the magician outside as his face burned—one of his hands rested on Sakura's soft thigh, the other curled around her ribcage, the firm weight of a breast resting against his knuckles.

He huffed his hair away from his face, annoyed at his discomfort. "You know this isn't magic, right? It's just illusion. _Less_ than a genjutsu."

"I know," she said quietly and Sasuke immediately regretted his harsh tone. Both of their breathing seemed loud in the ringing silence.

"Sasuke-kun?"

He grunted.

"Did you really volunteer to be my boyfriend?"

His breath caught in his throat. He couldn't see because of the darkness and close quarters, but he could hear the smile in Sakura's voice. Turning his head the slightest, his lips brushing the tip of her ear, Sasuke whispered, "I…did."

Something soft as silk pressed against his mouth and Sasuke quickly realized Sakura was kissing him. His fingers dug into her thigh as he returned it as well as he could, given his crushed position. All too soon, sunlight was blinding him as they tumbled out of the box.

"And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. A trip to Nirvana, courtesy of the Wandering Cabinet!"

As the audience laughed and cheered, Sasuke realized he was on top of Sakura in a very lewd position. He burned as he pulled Sakura to her feet then stalked off.

His ears ringing with the sound of the crowd's laughter, Sasuke didn't stop when Naruto caught up, guffawing and teasing.

"Have a nice trip, _Sasuke-kun_?" Naruto jeered with a side-splitting laugh. Scowling, Sasuke marched toward the town gate until something pulled on his hand.

"Sasuke-kun?"

Strange feelings warred and churned in his head and stomach. Sasuke turned, but found he was unable to meet Sakura's gaze. She moved closer, giggling as she pulled pieces of confetti from his hair—he shivered at her touch. Just like inside the Wandering Cabinet, Sasuke was caught unaware when Sakura's lips suddenly touched his, but this time, he was able to respond how he wanted to—his two hands cradled her head and he kissed her gently once…twice…before pulling away to look at her face.

_This magic is no illusion, _he thought and he pressed his mouth to hers again.

* * *

Okay...I need your help.

You know this anthology is for Cotton Candy Bingo on Dreamwidth ( . ), right? Well, the deadline for Bingo is December 31st and I have one more prompt to fill...but zero inspiration!

This is where you come in.

I need ideas! The prompt is Christmas/Fairy Lights. Now to my way of thinking, there's no Christmas in the Narutoverse...so Fairy Lights. Please send me ideas before I tear all my hair out! Quick! I will send you a truckload of bacon stars if you send me an idea I can use. I have only a day and a half to write! Thanks!


	2. Chocolate

"Don't touch." Sai swatted the back of Naruto's hand with his paintbrush.

He harrumphed and frowned. "What's in the bag that's so special that I can't see it?"

"A gift for Sakura."

"_Sakura-chan?_ Why are you buying gifts for Sakura-chan? I thought you didn't…"

"I don't. It's not from me."

Naruto frowned harder, frustrated with his tight-lipped teammate. "Who's it from then?"

"Sasuke."

"_What_?!" His eyes bulged. "Sasuke bought Sakura-chan a gift?!"

Sai stopped painting and looked intently at his friend, narrowing his eyes in concern. "Have you sustained head trauma?"

"Of course not. Why?"

"Because I've already told you that this gift is for Sakura from Sasuke, yet you instantly forgot." He leaned closer and pulled on Naruto's eyelids, checking for dilation. "I suspect brain damage, but I fail to see anything but circumstantial evidence."

Smacking his hands away, Naruto harrumphed again and folded his arms across his chest. Several minutes of silence passed, the only sound in their room was the swish of Sai's paintbrush across the paper.

"What'd he buy her?"

"Chocolate."

"Chocolate?!"

"Again you've forgotten instantly. I think this is something you should get checked out."

"Shut up. Why's he buying her chocolate?"

"Why do you think?" With a flourish, Sai finished his painting and turned it toward Naruto—it was an abstract representation of his two teammates twisted together in a position of obvious ecstasy.

His face burned as he grabbed and tossed the sketchpad. "Perv!"

Sai shrugged. "You asked." He gathered up his pad and opened the door. Before he left, he leaned back into the room, saying, "Don't touch." Naruto snatched back his hand guiltily. "If you eat them, Sasuke will have no gift to declare his desire for Sakura with. If their feelings wither and die, it will be _your_ fault." He closed the door with a snap.

Scrunching up his face, Naruto glared at the bag. "Wither and die. _Humph_." He folded his arms. "That wouldn't be _my_ fault. That'd be Sasuke's fault for waiting so long." A smile crinkled his face. "I can't believe that bastard finally worked up the guts." Excitement overwhelmed him and he grabbed for the bag. "I wonder what he bought her?"

Inside the ordinary, white, paper bag was a heart-shaped box. Naruto looked around before pulling it out for examination. The box was covered in shiny, red satin. "Looks expensive," he thought, nodding in approval. Flicking his head around one more time to assure himself he was alone, he pried off the lid. Inside were six, perfectly round chocolates—three a pale coffee color and three a deep, rich chestnut. He couldn't help but inhale their sweet aroma.

These were _good_ chocolates.

_I wonder what's inside them?_ He lifted one and turned it over, but it was completely covered—nothing was exposed to indicate what type of filling it might contain. He sniffed at it, but all he could smell was the intoxicating scent of chocolate.

With the smallest pang of guilt, he thought, _Sakura-chan won't notice if I take a little taste_. He scraped his teeth along the bottom and, immediately, was transported. This was the most delectable chocolate he'd ever tasted. Naruto made a mental note to find out where Sasuke bought it.

Swallowing, he eyed the bottom, looking for a clue to what was inside. _Still can't see_. He gnawed off another small piece. A rush of fruity sweetness flooded his mouth. "Raspberry! Oh, that's good." He tucked it back into its paper shell and put the lid back on.

Before he could seal it shut, however, a thought occurred to him. _Are they all raspberry?_ The lid was popped off and another chocolate was scraped against his teeth. "Oh, yeah! Coconut!" He stuffed the whole piece of candy into his mouth, humming in delight. Without any hesitation, he took another.

"Vanilla cream!"

* * *

"I'm coming in, Naruto."

He panicked, but couldn't summon the strength to stop her.

"Holy crap! What did you eat _this_ time?" Sakura said, pinching her nose and waving her hand against the stench.

"Ohhhh, Sakura-chan," he moaned. "You have to help me. I've been on the bowl for _hours._ I think I've been poisoned!"

"You smell like poison, that's for sure."

"Not funny. I'm _dying_!"

"Okay, okay. Let's start with your symptoms." She felt his head, looked in his eyes, nose, and throat, all while holding her own nose shut tight, as he detailed the course of his illness.

"It started about an hour ago. I was just sitting in the room, minding my own business…" He glanced at her quickly to see if she knew he was lying about being innocent. "Then my gut starts twisting. I thought I swallowed a whole barrel of eels, Sakura-chan! It was awful." He clutched at his stomach as another bout overcame him. "Fuck. That burns."

Sakura clucked her tongue at him and flushed the toilet, her face scrunching. "You've got the runs. A pretty potent case of them, but just the runs, Naruto. Tell me what you ate so I can give you something for it."

"I-I…had…some…"

A lie was on his tongue when his stomach cramped and sweat dripped down his forehead. He couldn't take it anymore. It felt like something was trying to escape from his gut, he was weak and clammy, and his ass wouldn't be right for weeks. He needed to own up and face the consequences.

The words tumbled out of his mouth in a rush. "I ate your chocolates, Sakura-chan, I'm sorry, but they were so tasty that I couldn't resist, I'm sorry, please help me!"

"_My_ chocolates? I didn't have any chocolates."

"Sakura, is the moron ok—"

"The chocolates Sasuke bought for you."

"_Sasuke_? For _me_?" Her voice pitched higher, as if the words were too incredulous to go together.

"Yes, for you! He was going to give them to you when he told you that he likes you, but I ate them and now your love will wither and die!"

"Sasuke-kun?"

Naruto's head jerked up to see Sasuke and Sakura staring at each other with wide eyes and pinched noses.

"Sasuke! Forgive me! I ate your love-gift! But you don't need it!" He groaned and wrapped his arms around his belly. "Just tell her what you told me—how much you want to be with her, how pretty you think she is. Don't let her love wither and die!"

"What?!" Sasuke's face was bright red and Naruto hoped it wasn't because he was about to beat him senseless—he already felt like he'd passed and _Amaterasu_ out his rear end.

"You…think I'm _pretty_?" Despite the noxious atmosphere in the tiny bathroom, Sakura giggled and looked adorably bashful.

"I-I…" Sasuke stuttered. "Let's get out of here." He grabbed her arm and pulled her into the adjoining room.

A few minutes later, which felt like hours to the ailing Naruto, Sai came in with a glass. "Here. Before she left, Sakura said to drink this and get some rest."

Gratefully, he downed the medicine. "She left? Where to?"

"On a date. Seems those chocolate laxatives I bought managed to take care of two problems."

"_You_ bought? You told me Sasuke bought them."

"I also told you not to eat them, didn't I?"

"I'll never eat someone else's food again," Naruto swore with a hand over his heart.

"Good. Then I've taught you a valuable lesson as well as getting revenge for my stolen bowl of ramen last week."

"What?! I thought you were done! I didn't want all that soup to go to waste," he mumbled.

"A likely story, glutton," Sai said sarcastically as he helped Naruto off the bowl and into his bed.

As he snuggled in, already feeling better, Naruto asked, "Sai? You said you took care of two problems. What was the second?"

Smiling a squinty-eyed grin, Sai said proudly, "I've solved our teammates' stifling sexual tension problem."

"What?! You said Sasuke and Sakura were only on a date!" Rhythmic banging against the wall behind him caught Naruto's attention.

"Well, if you call the noise coming from the other room _a date_…"

A picture frame thumped and bounced wildly before crashing to the floor. Sai continued to aim a creepy grin in his direction. Suddenly, a high-pitched wail of "_Oh, Sasuke-kun_!" and a low, animalistic growl put the horrifying pieces of the puzzle together for him.

_Sometimes, I really hate Team Seven_, Naruto thought as he pressed a pillow against his ears and tried to will himself into unconsciousness.

* * *

Oh, the hidden danger of chocolate...hee, hee. Anyhoo, thank you all so much for your wonderful suggestions for my Fairy Lights prompt. A lot of you have seen Brave (wasn't it adorable? Nice to see a female-centered story, huh?). I'm leaning toward a sort of combination of suggestions. I'd like it to be something Sasuke shows to Sakura...something he hasn't shared with anyone else...something private. Aaaand I just realized how wrong that last sentence sounded. I must still be twelve years old! Hee, hee. *sigh* I guess I need more plot than that, huh? Oh, well...I know you all will help, right? Right? Desperation is spiking! I have one day to write this before the deadline! WAHHHH!


	3. Sharing Food

"Come on, Sasuke-kun."

Sakura knew he wouldn't—she'd asked him to try sweets hundreds, no, _thousands_ of times before and gotten nothing but glares, cold shoulders, and flat no's. Still, she swirled her finger in the fluffy cream of her roll cake and held it out to him.

"You won't know until you try."

Knowing what came next and almost bored with this routine, Sakura looked away from Sasuke as he hunched over his steaming cup of tea. Her eyes found the shop's chalkboard descriptions of creamy, powdery, syrupy delights. _Maybe next time, I'll have the ichigo daifuku_.

Her sugarcoated fantasies were interrupted when her roaming gaze found Naruto elbowing Sai in the ribs as their newest teammate attempted to flirt with the pretty cashier. Sakura gasped when Sai leaned over the counter and brazenly pressed his lips to the girl's—he grinned like an imp as her face blazed red and her hand shot up to cover the astonished _oh_ of her mouth.

Sakura snickered. _Leave it to Sai to do something crazy and impulsive like that. Not at all like Sasuke_, she thought with a long sigh. _Speaking of which_… She recalled her cream-covered finger still extended in Sasuke's direction.

"Sasuke-kun, don't be a chic…ken?"

Something warm and arresting surrounded her hand. Her head snapped around faster than a crack of lightning, but her body knew what'd happened before she saw it—she rippled with electricity when her finger slid between Sasuke's lips.

Her heart collided with her ribcage at hummingbird speed. She shuddered when his tongue curled to cradle her finger, his cheeks narrowing as he sucked off the cream. Sasuke's eyes slowly rose to meet hers as he pulled her erect finger leisurely from the pursed hothouse of his mouth with a soft pop.

"Not bad," he purred with a smirk. Just when she was able to take a breath, his tongue shot out once more for a last, long lick of her finger from base to tip. He released her hand and sat back, draining the last of his tea. "We should go now." He stood and called to Naruto. "It's a long walk back to Konoha." She jumped when he ushered her out with a hand on the small of her back. "But," he leaned close to her ear, "I hear there's a few new teashops along the way."

A brilliant bubble, filled with hope and elation and promise, exploded in Sakura's chest. "There's also a nice one _in_ Konoha." The unasked question hung, shivering with fragility, in the air—was this just an impetuous moment or the beginning of…something more?

Sasuke grunted and shook his hair to cover his face. Was he flustered by what he'd done…or…did he not… Something hot and steely shot through Sakura's anxiety. She was tired of waiting, wondering. She would make a bold gesture of her _own_.

With one long stride, she was parallel with him. He gave her a quick, acknowledging glance, but she was out for more. She lightly skimmed her fingertips along the inside of his arm until she reached his hand—his pace faltered slightly. Sakura then slipped her fingers into Sasuke's slackened fist and held her breath. When he squeezed her hand gently, she smiled.

"When we get home, you can take me there."

* * *

Thank you all so very much for your brilliant suggestions! I'm writing the Fairy Lights prompt as you read this. Hopefully, I'll be done in time. Wish me luck!


	4. Fairy Lights

The snow crunched loudly under Sasuke's boots, his breath billowing in icy clouds—it was winter in Kusa and it was freezing.

Not that Sasuke felt the cold. Under his woolen cloak, he was sweating like it was August, but not because his shinobi-issued winter gear was so efficient. It was because of…

Sakura giggled and his eyes slid to her. She was shushing through the snow, kicking up glittering puffs and laughing when it blew back into her face. Another wave of heat burned his skin when the sun glinted off the ice on her lashes, making her eyes seem rimmed with crystal.

_Today_, he thought. _I have to ask her today._

For weeks now, Sasuke formulated strategies on how best to ask Sakura on a date only to be defeated by insecurity, embarrassment, and circumstance each time. All of his carefully rehearsed speeches were choked in his throat when Sakura would smile. Or he'd manage to grunt out a few words and then a patient or _a certain teammate_ would interrupt. But today, he would find a way to get her alone and ask.

_Today._

Today they were freezing their asses off in the Kusa winter on a mission—assist with the preparations for Grass Country's Snow Festival. It was crappy and D-ranked and probably best handled by genin, but Sasuke thought he'd do a million D-ranked missions with Sakura...and then swiped his hand down his face, wondering when he'd become so pathetically lovesick.

"Sasuke-kun?" He looked up as Sakura's hand wrapped around his elbow. "When we're finished, would you help me through the Ice Maze?"

"Ice Maze?"

She leaned in closer, directing his gaze with a pointed finger, never letting go of his arm. He pretended not to see where she was pointing for a few seconds longer, just so she'd stay close.

"Nah, Sakura-chan. Sasuke doesn't want to do girly stuff like that. That maze is stupid. It's for kids." Naruto punched Sasuke's shoulder. "Right, idiot?" Sasuke's teeth ground together. "He'd much rather do the ski jump with me." He nodded at Sakura as if the matter was settled and then grabbed her wrist. "Anyway, I need your crazy strength to set up these fences. Sasuke, see if you can get the lights ready. They should be behind the food stands. If we finish early, we'll help you string them." With that he dragged Sakura down the street, leaving Sasuke dazed and frustrated.

* * *

_Stupid D-ranked mission._

Sasuke spooled off a length of lights and attached them to a pole bordering the road. He landed lightly and walked to the next pole, chakra-climbing fifteen feet up and tacking them.

_Stupid winter._

Naruto had stolen the only thing that made all the cold, boring hours of this mission bearable.

_Stupid moron._

The familiar burn of revenge bubbled in his gut as an evil smirk slanted his mouth. He had a _new_ plan.

* * *

Sakura repositioned the last bench in the row and dusted off her hands.

"Finished. Finally."

"Ready for that Ice Maze then?"

She straightened and saw Sasuke, arms crossed, leaning against a wall as if he'd been waiting for her the whole time. The smile that spread across her face couldn't be tamped down if she tried. When she approached, he stuck out his elbow ever so slightly for her to hold as they walked—Sakura thought she couldn't possibly be any happier.

"You finished all the lights?"

Sasuke nodded.

"And Naruto doesn't have any more jobs for us?"

He shook his head no.

"Wow. That's a shock. I thought he was going to work us until the festival was over. He's taking this team captain thing a bit too seriously, don't you think?"

He nodded again and chuckled clouds of icy breath.

"I wonder where he ran off to…"

* * *

Naruto smelled the mouth-watering scent of ramen as he rose toward consciousness.

_Mmm…maybe I'll get a bowl of pork ramen for breakfast. Wait…breakfast?!_

His eyes snapped open as he remembered Team Seven and their mission to Kusa. Had he been captured by enemy shinobi? Memories slowly seeped back into his brain.

Memories of helping Sasuke with the lights.

Of his teammate's odd smile as he handed him a coiled strand.

Of blue light and Sasuke's voice in his ear—_That's the last time you walk away with her._

Naruto twisted and found himself wrapped in blinking, white lights, his hitai-ate tied firmly over his mouth. Worst of all, he was hanging upside-down over the ramen shop, inhaling the tantalizing smells, but unable to get to them.

"I wonder where he ran off to…"

He stopped wriggling at the sound of Sakura's voice. Suddenly, his two teammates came around the corner arm-in-arm.

"Last I saw, he was hanging around the ramen stand," Sasuke said, a sinister grin curling his lips as his eyes met Naruto's.

"Typical," Sakura scoffed as she slipped her arm further through Sasuke's and snuggled closer.

* * *

So, here it is...the infamous Fairy Lights story. I don't know why this was so hard to write, but I really want to thank you all for being so inspiring! Unicorn Paige especially for reading this over when I was ready to throw it out and talking me in off the ledge...as usual.

Okay...one more story and that's it for Bingo!


	5. Earth

Slowly, Sasuke drew Kusanagi from its sheath. On the edges of the training ground, miniature cyclones of dust, churned by the energy of Naruto's signature jutsu, ruffled and snapped his shirt. Narrowing Sharingan eyes, he stared across the clearing as his teammate and a clone molded a sphere of chakra. He changed to a two-handed grip on his sword, widened his stance, and waited.

A fluctuation in the air to his left made his cheek twitch. With a crack, Sakura erupted from the tree line, a fist flying straight at his face. Only his eyes shifted in her direction, noticing she wasn't wearing her usual sparring expression—a fiercely determined scowl. If pressed to describe her, Sasuke would say she looked…_mischievous_.

With sparks and crackles, Sasuke flooded Kusanagi with lightning. Eyes flicked to her fists. Where was the powerfully compacted chakra that made her punches so deadly? As she got closer, he saw it—her chakra was squeezed down to only two of her fingertips. His forehead creased with confusion, but he readied for her attack.

Sakura was less than a foot away when she stopped running and slid between his open legs. Shocked, Sasuke could only watch as she grinned up at him, poking her two fingers into the sensitive flesh of his thighs.

"That's one!" she called, running off into the woods without a backwards glance.

Sasuke scowled in her direction. _What the hell was that about? And why is she touching me…there? _With a twitch in his groin, his face heated, thinking of how close she'd come to touching him exactly where he wanted her to.

A whirring caused Sasuke's head to snap up.

"_Rasengan_!"

* * *

In the cool, dark shade of an old oak, he panted, having barely escaped Naruto's onslaught. He touched his hand to his side and it came away streaked with red.

"Shit," he hissed then held his breath when the crinkle of paper cut through the sounds of the forest. Sasuke peered cautiously around the tree. Sitting on the edge of a cliff that bordered the woods was Sai, his paintbrush whispering across the page.

_Shit! _he cursed again, frustrated by the attack he knew was coming and the blood now seeping into his shirt. Swiping his forehead with the back of his hand, Sasuke took a long, cool swig from his waterskin and then poured some over his wound.

"Okay, what's the plan?" His head thumped against the tree as he gathered his thoughts, devised a strategy. Legs shaking with fatigue, Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment. When they opened, he jumped—Sakura's face was upside down right in front of his.

A wild jumble of feelings nailed Sasuke's feet to the ground. All he could do was stare into her eyes as his nose grazed her forehead. _How long has she been hanging from that branch? _A creeping paranoia curled in his head as he tried to remember if he'd done anything embarrassing.

A smile crinkled Sakura's eyes. She tapped her fingers to his shoulders, saying, "That's two. And Sai's working on a herd of rhinos. You might want to rethink your plan." Chuckling, she slipped into the dense foliage above his head.

"Sakura! Get back here!" When she didn't respond and he didn't see a single leaf flutter to give away her position, he grumbled, "What the hell is she up to?"

Suddenly, the ground began to shake violently, the wailing sound of twisted wood coming closer.

"There you are." Sai was mounted on the back of an ornately swirled ink-rhino, grinning widely. "Please stand still while I trample you."

* * *

_What the hell? _Now that he was safely away from Sai and his murderous beasts, Sasuke was able to rub and slap his tingling arms. _Why won't it stop?_

Sasuke's arms and hands felt strange ever since he tried to use his _Chidori Eisou_. An easy slash to disperse Sai's ink was his plan when he summoned the lightning spear, but it flashed then simply sputtered out. He drew Kusanagi at the last moment, but it also felt clumsy and unwieldy in his hands. Now, his arms stung with what felt like a million pinpricks.

"Must've…hit a nerve or something…" he mumbled without much conviction, staring at his hands. Two unexpected pokes to the chest brought his head up fast.

"Pay attention, Sasuke-kun," Sakura sang, disappearing in a swirl of pink petals.

His battle instinct flicked on his Sharingan, but he found no irregularity in his chakra pattern that would indicate a genjutsu from Sakura. "Dammit," he cursed. "I thought I finally figured her out."

Sakura was acting strange, that he knew. _What_ she was doing and _why_ was gnawing at him all day. He swung his arms in wide arcs to get the blood flowing, thinking she looked happy today…_giddy_ almost. _Which is weird_, he thought, _because Sakura takes sparring very seriously. _Occupied with these thoughts, the panic of suddenly falling made his stomach rise into his throat.

Just as his muscles clenched, ready to react, the ground closed, swallowing him up. He strained, but he could not move. He was trapped up to his chin in the cold earth.

"I told you to pay attention," Sakura said with a giggle as she casually walked toward him.

He twisted. "Not funny. Now, let me out."

"Oh, I don't think so." She grinned as she sank to the ground in front of his head.

Sasuke smirked. If she wasn't going to let him out, he'd free himself. With a small flex of energy, he summoned a _Chidori Nagashi_ to blast the earth holding him captive…only it hissed weakly, a wisp of black smoke swirling from his hole in the ground.

"What the—" His surprise quickly morphed to anger and he scowled at Sakura. "What the fuck did you do to me?"

She clucked her tongue at him as she lay on her stomach, her face inches from his. "Language, Sasuke-kun." Her mouth curled into a dangerous smile. "I shut down a few, key tenketsu. You won't have proper chakra flow for another hour."

He grit his teeth, frustration constricting his muscles, forcing him to ask, "Why? You could beat me a hundred other ways. Why cut off my chakra for so long?"

She beamed. "You really think I could beat you a hundred other ways?" When he flushed, despite his deepest wish not to, she teased, "I'm sure I could beat you at least sixty, seventy ways, but _a hundred_? I'm flattered, Sasuke-kun."

"Answer the question." He was irritated _and_ embarrassed now.

"You weren't around for several days last week…and I got sad." She tucked his hair behind his ear and he irately shook it loose. Nonplussed, she continued, "I thought I'd done something to make you angry." She thrust her lower lip forward in a pout that made him squirm. "So, I asked Naruto. And Kakashi. And Sai." She grinned that dangerous grin again. "Luckily, Sai has no filter, so he told me the truth."

Something cold stiffened Sasuke's spine. "The…truth?"

Sakura leaned in, pressing her lips to his ear. "The. Truth."

Sasuke swallowed the boulder in his throat as the cold shifted to his stomach.

"You," she trailed her fingertips down his jaw to his chin and held it firmly, "were hiding, weren't you?"

"What?" he balked, hoping his voice sounded cool and aloof, instead of petrified and squeaky.

She sat back, reminiscing. "You left the training ground in a huff last week after we all went swimming in the lake. You seemed fine until I got in, so I figured your bad mood was because of something I'd done." The dangerous grin. "I was right, wasn't I, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke looked away. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Sakura." A bead of sweat ran from his temple to his jaw and down his neck as he remembered her leaping from a small cliff into the lake in nothing but her bra and panties. How could he forget? Every day since then, whenever his eyes slid shut, Sharingan visions of her body, silhouetted against the sun, soaring slowly through the air, haunted his head.

Sakura moved closer and tentatively tugged the high collar of his shirt, her previous air of haughty superiority gone. "Sasuke-kun?" she whispered, pressing her cheek to his experimentally. "You know how much I—"

He turned toward her and she took the opportunity to clumsily push her lips against his. Their teeth clacked and he winced. Sasuke watched the pink rise in her cheeks as she pulled back, defeated. When her eyes met his for the briefest of seconds, he could see how she'd expected this first kiss to set off fireworks…and instead, it'd been awkward and bruising.

"Sakura…"

A weak smile twitched on her lips. "I-it's okay, Sasuke-kun. I was…wrong." She frowned, her forehead creasing.

Sasuke shook his head—she was not wrong…not at all—but she was already getting to her feet. A building frustration tensed all of Sasuke's muscles as he strained against his confinement. He needed to stop her.

With an explosive release, lightning flashed and clods of dirt and debris clouded the air. Sakura's hands flew up to protect her face and Sasuke, free from his earth prison, grabbed them. She froze in surprise as his hand curled around the back of her neck, pulling her gently to his lips. Pops of silver-blue light exploded around them as he slid his tongue against hers, a _Chidori Stream_ caging them in a sparking web of electricity.

"Ohhhh." Sakura sighed out a plume of smoke when their lips separated. Her hair stood firmly on end as tiny licks of current sizzled and blackened the tips of her pink locks.

"Well, that's one way to take out an opponent, I guess," Naruto said, scratching his head as he and Sai leaned against a tree. Nudging his teammate with an elbow, he winked knowingly and asked in his most innocent voice, "Anyone up for a post-spar swim?" Naruto hooted and laughed as he ran toward the lake, tugging off sandals and peeling off clothes. With a grin, Sai took off after Naruto, pulling off his shirt and carefully folding it.

Sasuke turned back to Sakura and found her biting her lip, a hand on her zipper. Faster than Sharingan eyes could follow, she was giggling and bouncing down the hill, her shirt dangling from his fingertips. Stupefied momentarily, he gawked at the clothing in his hand and then back at her, only to be hit in the face with a pale pink skirt.

* * *

Sakura shimmied out of her shorts and glanced up the hill, expecting Sasuke half a step behind her. When she saw that he hadn't moved, she froze. Old fears and insecurities curdled her belly. Did he kiss her on a whim? Was it a momentary thing? Her heart and breathing stopped until his hand slowly grasped the edge of his shirt and wrenched it over his head. A grin spread across his face and Sasuke ran then hopped as he wrestled off his shoe. Almost tripping as his pants hit his ankles, Sasuke hooked an arm around Sakura's waist, a strange light in his eyes.

If pressed to describe him, Sakura would say he looked…_mischievous_.

* * *

BINGO! I can't tell you how happy I am that this is done! I had months and months to finish it, but of course, I waited until the day it was due. *sigh* Anyhoo, it's done! YAY!

Again, thank you all for your help and, as always, your kind words. I hope every one of you has an amazing 2013! Happy New Year!


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